As the demand for wireless and broadcast communications continues to grow, there is an increased need to construct new cell towers and maintain existing cell towers. Traditionally, in order to maintain or inspect existing cell towers, workers would climb cell towers and manually inspect antennas or support members. To do this, workers may have to climb heights in excess of 200 or 300 ft.
Not surprisingly, a cell tower worker's job is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. As explained on the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (“OSHA”) website, some of the more frequently encountered hazards include: (1) “Falls from great heights,” (2) “Electrical hazards,” (3) “Hazards associated with hoisting personnel and equipment with base-mounted drum hoists,” (4) “Inclement weather,” (5) “Falling object hazards,” and (6) “Equipment failure.” See OSHA, Communication Towers, https://www.osha.gov/doc/topics/communication tower/(last visited Jan. 21, 2017).
While efforts have been made to increase safety, accidents involving cell towers continue to occur. Thus, a system and method for remotely and accurately generating a 3D model of a cell tower that minimizes or eliminates manual inspection would be advantageous.